Vinny's Allotment Plot

Even though it's a damp miserable Bank Holiday Monday I decided to do a little bit at the lot. The main reason I turned out is because myself and two Sons are going fishing tomorrow. My youngest Son and myself both like fly fishing but my oldest Son just fishes with worms. I don't mind a bit of worm fishing myself when my casting arm gets tired so eeded to try and dig a few worms for myself and a lot for my Son.
The ground was suprisingly dry and worms were hard to come by. 
Anyway I got a bed de-weeded, de-stoned and dug so decided I amy as well plant something in it. I had some  Austurian Tree Cabbage growing in modules so planted these in the bed I had just dug.
I was worried that the mice may have gotten my broad bean seeds so dug a few up to check they were still there. They were, and were putting down a good root system before showing there heads above soil, so I am pleased about that.

I had to post a book off I had sold on ebay, so as the allotment is close to the post office I decided to call in to see if my broadies had germinated yet?

I was pleasantly surprised that they had, and that the mice hadn't dug up and eaten the seed. I decided to give them a bit water along with the tree cabbage and chrysanths I had planted out.

As usuall, as I was there one thin led to another and seeing a couple of leeks in a row had seeded I decided to dig the row up. I bagged half of them for my daughter and gave the other half to my allotment neighbour. After lifting leeks I hand weeded area. This will be my next planting area, but I don't know what with yet?
I was only on site about an hour but was pleased with what I had achieved!

Called at the plot this morning on my way back from the Doc's. Paid my 30 squid plot rent so they can take my name off the slate now!

Sprinkled slow release fertiliser over a lot of the stuff I have growing 'just because I have some'. Hopefully it will perk up some of the stuff which is growing too slowly in my opinion?
A big heap of hoss muck has been tipped at plot and I was told I could get as much as I liked. I might take them up on that if there is owt left at the end of the week? 
At home,I have eventiually got round to sowing 15 Gigantes beans in a large tray. I need to get the canes set up in position at the plot next time I am there.

Back at plot today (just can't keep away) Hand weeded 5 veg beds, pulled up my boltesd spinach pulled up all but one of my PSB. I left one PSB and trimmed it down in the hope of it producing more spears?
Weeded leeks and pulled up ones that had begun to bolt.
Raked area where spinach was to create a small seed bed. sowed a row of cauli's,a row of calabrese and a row of PSB.

Used  grass cutting from my lawn at home as a mulch for my broad beans and chrysanthemum plants.

Next job is to sow my French beans in situ, both green and yellow versions, but that ia a job for another day!

Finally got round to direct sowing my Frenchies!

I had a skinny bed where I had harvested leeks so utilised this area. Hoed and raked area and sowed three rows of Frenchies.. One row of Saxa, one row of a yellow podde variety and one row of my favourite Tendergreen.

On the packet it say beans are to be planted 300mm apart, sod that sez I, I have three packets to sow so each will have a row to itself.

The rows were only 200mm apart and the planting stations were roughly 150mm. Into each dibbered hole I dropped four beans then covered them all over, finally tamping down with the rake. Luckiy it was starting to rain when I was leaving so I didn't need to water them in.

While I was at plot I did what will be the final preparation of my runner bean bed. Last year this was a compost heap so there is plenty of organic matter in it. It was dug over and levelled and since then has been hoed twice to kill offf sprouting weeds. I have the Gigantes plants hardening off at home and still need to errect the cane wigwam yet.

I had a pile of wood which I decided to take home to chop up for the woodburner (forever on the scrounge for wood and my allotment pal often just dumps some over the fence) Any way, as I was collectig it a blackbird few out between my legs giving me a shock as I thought it was a rat at first! On closer inspection there is a blackbirds nest in the woodpile with four eggs in it.  Needless to say the rest of the wood can stay where it is for the time being!

Had a bit of a dig-fest yesterday, digging, de-stoning and weeding one of the diagonal beds. I was there about 3 hours, then loaded up the car with timber from the plot to be cut up and used in woodburner.

Went back today and took four bags of graas cuttings from lawn at home, Also took 3 of my red  chrysanth plants to plot. While I was there I decided to do a bit more digging, but soon got sick so harvested some leeks and garlic for soup, did a bit of hoe-ing then left.
The areas I dug are for courgettes,leeks,pumpkins,chrysanths,cauli,PSB and Calabrese so as my plants are sstill a bit too small to plant they will be left fallow for a short while.

Another visit to plot today. I bought a self build open fronted wardrobe from Argos and the allotment and the graveyard are on the way home from picking it up so I thought I might as well visit.
Finished diggin, de-stoning, de-weeding and raking another couple of beds Planted out the rest of my Austurian tree cabbage so now have a bed of about a dozen plants.
Sowed a couple of rows of beetroot.

Optimistically sowed a packet of sweetcorn in a small bed. Didn't want to waste too much space on it because I am doubtful whether I will be able to get it to ripen, unless we have an indian summer.

Plot is looking a lot tidier than it was a week ago when I was fearful I would get a letter from the committee!

Productive morning/early afternoon on plot today. Arrived and was overwhelmed with the jobs that needed doing so just stood with a vacant look on my face for a while.
Started by tickling over a bed that had leeks in it, raked it into a seed bed and planted little clumps of Sutherland kale seedlings at 300mm spacings. The reason for the clumps was that I had grown them in an 8 inch pot and didn't want to tease all the compost off them by planting them individually. Once they are established in situ I will chop off the surrounding plants leaving one at each planting station.

The bed is 600mm wide so they looked a bit lost unti they grow a bit. With this in mind I sowed a row of radishes up one side and a row of lettuce up the other!
I then tickled over another small bed and sowed winter spinach,leaf beet and Rocket. Some of the aforementioned seeds were four years old so I sowed the whole packets in a small space to allow for percentage decrease of germination because of age?

I then raked and sowed 3 rows of Purple top Mian turnips in another bed. I also planted 3 red chrysanths I intend using for cut flowers.

I was pleased to see a goodly percentage of French beans have germinated (3 types) along with 3 rows of carrots.

Did a bit more hand weeding in the onion bedsn and watered some of the seedlings which appeared to need it.

I was going to erect my runner been poles but realised I had nowt to tie them together with at the top. I think cable ties would be ideal so if I haven't any in the shed a t home I will need to buy them. I put the Gigantes beans into the greenhouse as they were getting battered by the wind. I wont bring them out until I am ready to plant so I can tie them to poles.

Loaded up the car with tomato plants off the windowsill and took them to allotment. Prior to that I had been to B&Q and bought some heavy duty cable ties.

Put the tomato plants, still in the container I had brought them in onto the greenhouse staging under an area that still has glass in it. I had my Gigantes beans on the staging under an area with no roof glass hardening off. At least the were protected from the recent winds we have had and it saved me watering them.

After hoe-ing the area where my runners are to go I made the  triangular pattern with some 8 foot canes tied to the centre br of a polytunnel frame. The cable ties were ideal for this and saved me clarting around with bits of twine.
I planted two rows of eight beans between each pole. I will see how they go but have some cut off plastic bottles if they start to get wind battered.

I did loads of watering with my large watering can as I think someone has chawed my smaller can? I searched the plot for it with no joy? I am particularily pleased with the germination of the three types of French bean and the carrots which were direct sown.

I had a small area of one plot still to dig so spent half an hour finishing that.

Loaded up the car with wood that one of the plot holders had kindly dropped over my fence. It saves him burning it and I take it home and have a session with the chainsaw when I have enough, chopping it up into usable lumps for the woodburner. Up to now this year I have only had to spend £200 on log deliveries as the majority I use is scrounged.Because of this my gas and electric bills are minimal.

I forgot to cover my spring cabbage with mesh, which I meant to do as the pigeoons had ben sitting on the edge of the bed and pecking the leaves. Not really too much of a problem as they haven't been near the cabbage hearts but still best to deter them.

Another couple of hours at the plot today. Plan was to sort out the greenhouse but after a short while I realised it was far too hot to be inside so amended plan.

Decided to weed the 'buttercup border. Half of it had leeks in it, the majority of which had seeded so I pulled them all out with the weeds. The othe half had garlic and shallots in it so I had to be a bit more careful when weeding around them. Once I had pulled out the thick of the weeds I realised that the last two years tidy up had left the border in decent nick. The plan is to plant it up with brassicas once they are ready. 

I wodered why my seedlings were growing slowly then I realised the pigeons had been munching them. They are now covered with mesh so should perk up a bit.

I also covered my carrots with enviromesh so I'll keep my fingers crossed that I wasn't too late.

Next job will be to plant out my cougettes and pumpkins, which shouldn't be an issue as the beds are prepared for them. I have leeks ready for planting in final positions as well so might get those in on next visit.